


the missing

by molliehenson



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Loss, M/M, Slight Pain and Sadness, Strange Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 10:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15141554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/molliehenson/pseuds/molliehenson
Summary: When a person dies and no one will miss them, the mourning is assigned to a random human. This is why you just feel sad sometimes.





	the missing

**Author's Note:**

> based the story off an old tweet by night vale podcast

 

Yunhyeong was almost startled awake by his alarm, all noises and awareness of surroundings coming to him all at once. 

 

He turned over to grab his phone under his pillow and swipe the alarm off. He sat up and rubbed his puffy and sticky eyes. He tried to adjust them to the early morning darkened room, which seemed dull with grey as it was obviously a cloudy morning. Yunhyeong couldn't help but wonder what came over him last night, as he spent the vast thunderstorm, and his sleeping time, crying. He didn't have much time for sleep at all. And now he's tired and his head hurts and his face is probably gross looking. But those things aside… he doesn't know why he was so sad. Sad enough to cry horribly for hours on end.

 

Well, the man's got a clue as to why he might've been so randomly upset. He just doesn't know any details. He doesn't have anything or anyone to go off of. 

 

He doesn't even quite remember what time he left his friends to go home… or when it even started raining. He just remembered the sudden sadness come over him, as his eyes wept with tears that resembled a beautiful waterfall. 

 

Yunhyeong sniffed and swung his legs off the bed and landed his bare feet onto the carpet. His head turned to the window next to his bed; the sounds of soft rain hit the window panes repeatedly in rhythmic notes. He breathed out a large breath and shivered slightly. His room was a bit chilly. Yunhyeong had forgotten to put on the heat last night. He stood up and took his shaky legs to the bathroom.

 

He washed his face with warm water, and he stood up straight to look at himself in the mirror. Just as he suspected. His face was still relevantly puffy after he'd turned on the lights to look. And his nose was red. Yunhyeong held his hurting head for a moment and shut his eyes. That's when his phone buzzed. It was Donghyuk. He asked him to meet him at the coffee shop. Yunhyeong was going to refuse but he could really need something right now. Or someone. Yunhyeong texted back and agreed to meet his friend. 

 

The man went through his closet and pulled on some jeans and tucked a thin sweater into them. He got cozy in his socks and shoes, and he hurried to slide on his long trench coat and tied it together. Yunhyeong stuffed his keys and wallet and phone into his pocket and headed downstairs of his apartment and outside. 

 

The sound of rain and cars driving through puddles on the busy streets came to ear. Yunhyeong stood on to the curb to hold out his hand. A near taxi stopped, and Yunhyeong hopped in, giving the address of the coffee shop he needed to be at. After the driver nodded and took off, Yunhyeong leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. His ears were already cold again from the rain. And he shivered slightly from being in the now damp coat. But he tried to relax on the short ride. 

 

When he arrived, he passed over change to the driver and hopped out of the backseat and into the cold rain again. He kept his head down as he made his way into the coffee shop. Glasses being clinked together filled his ears this time, and Yunhyeong looked around. His friend was a bit late, so he figured he could stand in line for some coffee. 

 

Usually, his order was an iced vanilla americano. But on rare, cold days like this, Yunhyeong would settle for something warm. He ordered a hot chocolate after passing through the fairly long line. Everyone wants coffee in the mornings. And he couldn't blame anyone who preferred this coffee shop to another since it was the best one; quite frankly it had the best atmosphere too. Maybe that's why him and Donghyuk drink here a lot. 

 

“Hey!” Yunhyeong turned when he heard a familiar voice. The tone of his voice was apologetic though. It sounded sad, or worried. Yunhyeong hoped he could play it off as if he was alright. He smiled and crossed his arms, turning back towards the counter to wait for his order. 

 

“Hey,” he replied, slowly. Donghyuk pulled off his scarf and shoved it down a coat pocket. “I ordered for you.” 

 

“Thanks.” Donghyuk smiled. Then Yunhyeong's name was called, and the man went up to the counter. But suddenly, the overwhelming feeling of hurt came over him as he smiled at the barista and grabbed the coffee. Sobs strangled their way out of his throat and tears instantly began to fall, and Yunhyeong dropped both hot coffees onto the floor.

 

He went down with them, hands and knees on to the dirty floor, as the most horrible cries came out of his mouth. Yunhyeong didn't have time to feel embarrassed at the array of people giving him confused, hurt, and even dirty, looks. He just cried, his heart hurting, and his headache coming back to him. Donghyuk grabbed Yunhyeong by his upper arms and hoisted him up and away from the mess all over the floor, as the barista behind the counter told him she'd clean up the spill and that it was okay. 

 

Yunhyeong couldn't stop his sobs, and his body became so weak, he just let Donghyuk drag him away from the scene and out of the shop. Donghyuk sat him down at a small table under the awning of the coffee shop where no one else was due to the rain that came down. Donghyuk sat across him, holding out his arms. 

 

“Yunhyeong, please calm down so you can tell me what's going on,” 

 

Yunhyeong choked up, his insides hurting as he looked down, and wiped his runny nose and falling tears. His throat swelled from his sobbing, and he tried so hard to swallow those sobs so he can try to speak. “Yunhyeong… please,” 

 

He was calm. His voice came out scratchy and shaky, maybe on the verge of another sob- he didn't know. “I- I don't know.” 

 

“What do you mean you don't know?” 

 

“I just randomly started crying… and I haven't been able to stop since last night.” Yunhyeong adjusted himself and sniffed, gathering himself together. 

 

“Is that why you left so early last night? Chanwoo didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.” Donghyuk gave out a small sort of laugh, even though his tone was apologetic. “You did seem a little sad. I was worried for you.” 

 

“Sorry,” Yunhyeong said quickly. “I really don't know what came over me. I just became sad… but for no reason. It feels like I've lost someone. But I haven't.” 

 

Donghyuk seemed to be in thought, as he watched Yunhyeong's face. “Maybe not someone you know; if you catch my drift.” He shrugged. “I think you know what I'm talking about.” 

 

“I know.” Yunhyeong sighed. He didn't want it to have to go to that. But it looks like he's in mourning over a death of someone who is unmissed. When a person dies and no one will miss them, the mourning is assigned to a random human. This is why you just feel sad sometimes. “You just don't think these things would ever happen to you until they do, ya know?” Donghyuk nodded to agree and understand.

 

“I've never had it happen to me.” He said. But Donghyuk couldn't understand. And, well, Yunhyeong couldn't quite understand either up until now. It's sad that these things happen anyway; someone who won't be missed after they die, so they have to give the job to someone else unwilling. “I'll be here to help you through it, okay?” 

 

Yunhyeong gave the other a small smile. 

 

The next afternoon, during a lunch break at work, Yunhyeong decided to skip his meal and head downtown. He held his umbrella as he put his hand out for a taxi. He sniffed and got into one that had pulled up. 

 

“The morgue, please.” He told the driver. And they were off. Not but minutes later, Yunhyeong stepped out of the cab and onto the curb of a tall building. It looked like an old brick apartment building to him. There wasn't anything special looking about it at all. He went up to the old, red painted double doors and pulled it open. 

 

The inside was quiet. Yunhyeong closed his umbrella and shook the water from it and looked up. The ceilings were tall. And there seemed to be small compartments around him, like mail boxes. He stepped up to some glass doors and opened those, the quietness still lured, but the atmosphere seemed different; brighter. A small desk stood in the middle of this room, and the faint sounds of computer keys being clicked at could be heard. 

 

Yunhyeong stepped up to the desk, and he looked to the red haired lady that kept her eyes on her screen. “Excuse me,” he nodded. The woman looked over with wondering eyes. “Can you give me the names of everybody who died last Saturday?” the woman finally showed an expression in her face. She smiled. 

 

“Certainly.” She clicked away at her computer. Then she turned the screen towards Yunhyeong. Yunhyeong sighed, as he took the mouse and began scrolling through the hundreds of names. That's hopeless. 

 

“Is there a way I can narrow it down more? Say… any deaths between eight pm and nine?” 

 

The woman nodded and turned the screen back to, once again, type away at her computer. She clicked a few things with the mouse then she put her hands together. “There is just one.” Yunhyeong perked up. “A man named Kim Hanbin.” she turned her computer around to show the ID of a young guy; maybe no younger than Yunhyeong himself. His heart suddenly ached, and he could feel a progressing sadness beginning to grow inside of him. 

 

“May I get the information on him?” 

 

Yunhyeong was brought to himself some papers on this guy who he was mourning over. He opened the file folder. He stared down at the picture; how innocent Kim Hanbin looked. His face, from what Yunhyeong could tell in the small photo, looked soft. And he was killed in a car crash. That's awfully sad. He looks like he would never deserve such a thing.

 

He thumbed through a couple of the papers. His address, his social security number. He frowned. “Excuse me, but, there's no family contact,” 

 

The woman pushed her glasses back up her nose and pointed right to an open page in the file Yunhyeong held. “Says they're deceased right here.” Yunhyeong looked down. He must've missed it. 

 

“Well he must have some family.”

 

“I'm afraid not, sir.”

 

“No friends? Not even acquaintances?”

 

The woman started clicking away at her computer. Then she stopped and shook her head. “No, sir. No one was listed an emergency contact for him. There were no contacts listed at all.” 

 

Yunhyeong sighed sadly. Wow. He couldn't ever imagine what it was like to be alone in the world. He was about to thank the lady and leave, but she piped up. “Wait… but he does have a will.”

 

“A will?” Yunhyeong blinked curiously. 

 

“Would you like me to print it for you?” 

 

“Yes, thank you.” 

 

The lady handed him a warm printed paper. Next thing Yunhyeong knew, he was sitting back at his apartment going through the file a bit more. 

 

The file was mostly of important papers and official documents. He couldn't find anything really about this guy's personal life. And if he had no friends, then Yunhyeong couldn't ask anyone. 

 

That triggered Yunhyeong's tears to fall from thinking of someone not having friends. He moved the papers so that they wouldn't get wet and he pushed the coffee table out of the way and got up to sob. It wasn't as bad as it had been, but his heart still hurt a million times for it. And it was a strange thing. Yunhyeong didn't purposely choose to be sad, or purposely squeeze out a tear. It just happened. He was forced to mourn someone he never met. But if it means that someone misses Hanbin, even just for a few days, then so be it. Yunhyeong will mourn him because everyone deserves to be missed. 

 

Almost a week went by since the occurrence, and Yunhyeong was right back to square one. Crying, unmotivated. He doesn't know how he made it through the week. Or how he made it through work. But he called Donghyuk to meet with him.

 

Yunhyeong looked back at the small printed picture of Kim Hanbin as he fit his long coat on. He sighed and stepped into his shoes before leaving his apartment and going downstairs. This time wasn't just rain, but thunder, and the sky was greyer than usual. He kept his head down as he walked to a nearby restaurant, and went inside, instantly warming up to the warm shop. Yunhyeong sat near the window at a small table. A waiter came to him with some water and Yunhyeong thanked him before casting his eyes back out the slightly fogged window. 

 

“Sorry I'm late,” Donghyuk came rushing through the door and immediately spotted Yunhyeong. The other just smiled and dismissed him. “Are you alright? I haven't spoken to you in a few days.” 

 

“Sorry I haven't returned your calls.” Yunhyeong replied with an apology as well. “I've just been out of it what with work and all and… well, you know.” 

 

“Sorry you're still feeling down.” Donghyuk whispered. Yunhyeong went to his wallet and pulled out a small picture. 

 

“I found out who it is.” He pushed the picture to his friend over the table. Donghyuk picked it up. 

 

“This is…?” Yunhyeong blinked and nodded. Donghyuk ran his fingers across the man in the picture. “He looks young. How did you even find him?” 

 

“It wasn't hard.” Yunhyeong shrugged. Then he sighed. “I just hate how I don't know a thing about him.” Oh no. There's the tears again. It wasn't a sob this time, Yunhyeong was so glad. He couldn't be publicly humiliated again. He just let tears fall. Donghyuk came to him, on his knees as he held onto him. He let him grieve for awhile. But Yunhyeong pushed him away when he thought it was enough. Donghyuk sat back in his seat again. 

 

Yunhyeong sniffed and put his hands together, shaking his head. “When is this going to pass? I don't know what to do.”

 

“You're just going to have to get over it.” 

 

“How do I get over someone I've never met before?” 

 

Donghyuk was silent for a moment. “I don't know. I really don't. I wish I had all the answers.” He looked at Yunhyeong's red face. “You're going to have to figure it out.” 

 

Well that was difficult, wasn't it. Yunhyeong felt the most heartbroken, had he felt it in months, or years. Learning to deal with this himself… he had no idea how to. He couldn't turn to anyone. Are there books about it? Are there Google searches on how to get rid of a sudden and surprised death? 

 

Yunhyeong would have to try something. 

 

He looked up at Donghyuk again, trying his best to give him a smile to show he was thankful. 

 

As Hanbin's will stated, whomever shall miss him would get everything he owned. All his things, all his money. But he only asked for one thing in return: to be properly put to rest. 

 

Yunhyeong couldn't know if Hanbin could ever be properly put to rest or not, seeing as he had a wrongful death. But Yunhyeong bought flowers anyway; the roses with the small white carnations… a beautiful set of flowers for someone who deserved them. 

 

And as he walked through the graveyard of the unmissed, which seemed to go on for miles and miles, he couldn't help but think; he doesn't want all of this strangers things. He doesn't want his house, or nice car. He doesn't want his antiques or his money that was starting to collect dust in the bank. What he wanted was to tell Hanbin - maybe tell all these unmissed people he walked by - that they're missed. 

 

He finally stopped at the grave of a Kim Hanbin. The stone was shiny, and very new. Yunhyeong looked down at the name for a long time before he bent down and set the bouquet of flowers right up against it. He sniffed once.

 

“I'm not sure what to say,” Yunhyeong said to the grave. He shook his head. “I've never had this happen to me before.” A few cracks of thunder sounded in the distance. Yunhyeong ignored them and put his hand over the gravestone, feeling it, and patting it. “But you're missed now.”

 

Yunhyeong held his coat tighter, and turned to go. But he suddenly felt something hold on to his arms, as if he was being hugged from behind. Yunhyeong stopped in place, and the feeling was gone.

 

He looked over his shoulder. Nothing was there. Must've been his imagination.

 

Yunhyeong turned back and walked away, starting his trip back home and out of the progressing stormy weather.

 

Hanbin watched the random man, who had brought flowers to his grave, slowly walk away. 


End file.
